Lacquering machine



Marr., 31,923. LlMS P. HARRICH LACQUERING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1921 Patented Mar. 13,v 1923. i

umn-:ol sfrATasPATsNT OFFICE.

PAUL HARRICH, 0F RQCHELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO NEW PRUCESS s CORK COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0E NEW YORK.

LACQUERING MACHINE. f

Application illed4 October 25, 1921. Serial Io. -510,571.

To all who/mt may concern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL HARRIGH, a citizen of Germany, residing at Rochelle Park, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacquering Machines, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to lacquering machines, and more particularly to a type of such machine adapted to rapidly coat tin or other non-flexible sheets with lacquer,

shellac-` or other composition, and rapidly dry such sheets.

Heretofore it has been the practice to coat such sheets with lacquer, shellac, or other similar fluids, and immediately deliver them thereafter to the carriers of the drying oven, which carriers pass through the oven at low speed so that the coating will be hardened when the sheets reach the delivery end of the oven. The sheets were-r fed to the coating or lacquering rollers by hand and after being lacquered were ordinarily delivered by hand to the racks of the carrier.

With the above conditions in mind, I have devised a machine wherein the sheets are delivered to the oven carrier from the coating rollers which have associated therewith a feeding mechanism which will automatically advance the tin or otherv slheets toward the coating rollers at a speed commensurate with that of said rollers so as to ensure high speed in the machine, and the speed of the feeding and the coating means will be-synchronized with that of the oven ca rrier so that no attention is required from the operator except a delivery of the sheets one at a time to the delivery mechanism.

To secure the desired results, it is essential that the speed of the traveling members of the delivery mechanism be relatively higher than that of the traveling racks and that these speeds be accurately proportioned with relation to each other in order to ensure the sheets enteringv between succeeding racks, a condition which is due to the fart that while the racks of the carrier are in close juxtaposition to each other and the lineal speed of these racks is fairly low, the travel of the sheets when entering the racks is much greater than the lineal speed of the racks, and there is a limited time within which the sheets must pass through, and be-I comey free of, the coating rollers.

The machine embodying my invention has the' furthe-r advantage that the sheetswil1 be delivered to the racks without any material rubbing action.

While passing through anism, the sheets are held perfectly flat by means of a table, the rear edge of said sheets in the direction of their feeding movement being engaged by rectangularly arranged clips upon parallel feed chains, succeeding clips being so spaced with relation to each other as to affordl sufficient clearance between clips to avoid necessity for nicety in adjustment of the sheets upon the table, while at the same time ,affording that dwell between the delivery of succeeding sheets to permit a rack to receive a sheet and move from the path 0f delivery of the succeeding sheet before that sheet. has been coated and is delivered by the coating rollers.

In a machine embodying my invention, I preferably employ on opposite ends of the machine, .delivery and coating mechanisms operating in substantially the same manner, with the exception that the mechanisms at one end deliver sheets to racks entering upon the top reach of the carrier, while that at the other end delivers sheets to the racks about to enter the lower reach of the carrier, which construction will permit the doubling of the output of the machine, or its utilization for coating opposite sides of sheets with different materials and subjecting 'them to different portions of the oven wherein the temperatures vary.

Since when the drying oven vis once filled with lacquered or otherwise coated sheets, it is essential to continuously operate it until all the sheets have been delivered, and since in shutting down the machine, there is a considerable time interval between the delivery of a sheet by the coating mechanism and the delivery of the sheet from the drying oven, it is essential that the delivery mechanism be so constructed that it may be made inoperative entirely independently of the actuation of the carrier in the drying oven, in order to prevent waste of the coating material and fouling of the machine therewith.

The invention consists primarily in a laequerin machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endthe delivery mech-l less carrier mechanism 'having movement therethrough, and including therein angularly= extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, a feeding mechanism adaptedY to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, and .actuating means for said carrier, said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism, whereby said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a view of a lacquering machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the delivery and the coating mechanisms at the left of Fig. 1, with one end of the carrier mechanism and drying oven shown in elef vation, said view being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the delivery mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of the mechanism at the right of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the means by which the delivery mechanism may be made inoperative Without affecting the operation of the drying oven.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

ln the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, I provide an ordinary drying oven a. Which may be of any desired or approved construction, having mounted therein a sheet carrying mechanism consistingof oppositely disposed endless chains I) carrying racks c having hooked ends c', which "racks extend at right angles thereto. Said racks are closely juxtaposed with relation to each other, being spaced apart suiiciently to receive sheets of tin or other material having thereon the lacquer or other coating to be dried. The hooks c are provided to permit sheets, to be carried by the racks on both the upper and the lower reaches of the chains b, intermediate the end sprocket wheelsor other driving means indicated at cZ-d. This construction is old and well known in the arts, and I make no claim of invention thereto.

The chains b have continuous slow traverse imparted thereto in any desired manner as by means of intermeshing gears e-e shown in Figs. 1 and 2, driven from any desired source of power by means of the belt and pulley drive e. I

At each end of said oven a., I provide a coating mechanism having associated therewith a sheet delivery mechanism, Said coating mechanism being adapted to.l deliverv livery lmechanisms 1s identical in construction with the other, so that a detailed description of but one of them is necessary, it being understood that one set of said mechanisms indicated at A in Fig. 1 is designed to deliver sheets to the racks c in a position to cause them to be conveyed along the lower reach of the carrier chains while the other, as B, is designed to deliver them to the racks in a position to cause them to be conveyed along the uppery reach of said carrier chains. j

The similarity in the coating and the feeding mechanisms A-B extends to all the essential characteristics thereof, there being, however, certain structural differencesin the actuating means for the feed mechanism which will be described in detail, these structural differences, however, in no Way modifying the functioning of the feeding mechanism.

The coating mechanism which is shown more or less conventionally in the drawings, consists of opposed feed rollers f-f, one of which, as f, receives a film of the lacquer or other coating material, fro-m a suitable fountfg. Said rollers f-f are so set in relation to-each other as to receive a sheet of the desired thickness therebetween and advance it toward the racks c While-applying a coating to one surface thereof only, the coating being in a thin film.

Arranged adjacent the receiving side of the rollers4 f-f is a. feed shelf g having longitudinally extending slots 'Ir/ g2 forming runways for oppositely disposed parallel feeding chains h-i, each carrying at spaced distances apart, a. series of clips z" adapted to engage the edge of the sheet and advance it toward the rollers f-f and deliver it from the table in a position where it` slots g*g2 respectively. Power is applied to said-chains in the mechanism A through the medium of said shaft le through the chain and sprocket mechanism m receiving lpower from the shaft through the medium of intermeshing gears o--e, one of which is carried by the shaft of the sprocket wheels b driving the carrier chains b, and t-he other of which iscarried lby the shaft n. The di- .losl

ameter of the driving sprockets for the chains h-k is not only relativefy greater than that of the sprocket wheel d, but the driving means connecting the shaft carryin the sprocket wheel (l for. the chains I), with the shaft lc is so constructed as to impart to the shaft lc, relatively higher speed than that of the shaft carrying said sprockets d. In `this manner the linealspeed of the chains L-h will be relatively greater than that of the chains b to compensate for the difference in the time interval of the positioning of succeeding racks c to receive sheets and of the coating of the sheets and their delivery to these racks.

By properly synchronizing the speed of the carrier racks c and that oftthe chains L-h and the rollers f-f, notwithstanding the variance in the lineal traverse of said racks and of said chains, and of the angular speed of the rollers f-f, a coated sheet will be delivered to said racks successively as they reach a substant-ially horizontal position in passing about the sprocket wheels d for the chains b. In fact, lif desired, the angular speed of therollers f-f may be slightly greater than the lineal speed of the chains h-h, which may be accomplished by increasing the R. P. M. of said rollers or increasing their diameters, although no advantage is secured in this manner over a structure in which said rollers will advance t-he sheet at the same speed as said chains.

By spacing the clips z" a dist-ance apart greater than a sheet of the maximum length which may be handled in the machine, any necessity for accuracy in feeding these sheets to the table g is avoided, since the clips z'-z" will straighten eac-h sheet upon the table g before it reaches a point where it is delivered to the rollers f-f. To facilitate the straightening of the sheets, I preferably arrange the table g upon an incline toward the rollers f-f so as to take advantage of the weight of the sheet, aswell as the friction between same and the table.

Referring to the mechanism B, the structural characteristics ofthe table g and its appurtenances and of the coating mechanism, are identical withthat heretofore described, f the sole difference between said mechanism and the mechanism A residing in the mechanism for transmitting power from the shaft carrying the sprockets cl to the chains lll-IL', while preserving the desired speed ratio of said chains and of the chains b. In the mechanism B, Isecure a large sprocket Wheel p to the shaft carrying the sprocket wheels lsaid sprocket wheel p being connected with a small sprocket wheel p by a sprocket chain p2.

The shaft 7'2 carries a sprocket wheel q which is driven from a sprocket Wheel q of substantially the same diameter by means of the sprocket chain g2, The sprocket wheels p and g are connected by means of speed increasing gearing consisting of a large gear p3 carried by the sprocket wheel p', a smaller gear wheel g3 carried by the sprocket wheel g and connected intermediate gears 7 and r', the former of which is of smaller diameter than the latter, and is enmeshed with the gear p2 while the gear 1" is enmeshed with the ear. 2.

T e rollers f--f may be driven in any desired manner as by means ofthe intermeshing gears 8 8', the latter of which is driven from the shaft c by means of a sprocket and chain connection t.

. To permit the carrier chains b to be actuated after the stoppage of the feeding mechanism, I connect the sprocket wheel j with the shaft lc, and the sprocket wheel g with the shaft jg by means of a suitable clutch mechanism carried by said shafts respectively, and adapted to operatively engage said sprocket wheels, this arrangement being common to both mechanisms A and B and involving merely mechanical skill as to its structural characteristics. A detailed dcsoription of the clutch used is not given.

' Fig. 5 showing a conventional toothed clutch member u associated with the sprocket wheel j', and splined upon the shaft la', said member u being engaged with, or disengaged from, the Wheel j by means of the hand lever fv. f

The operation of the herein described machine is substantiallyas follows When power is applied to a `machine embodying my invention, the chains b with their racks o will be moved slowly through the oven a, this speed being determined by the length of the oven and the time interval required to properly oxidize or dry the coating material upon sheets delivered to said racks. If the sheets be delivered'to the racks upon the upper reach of said chains, the lower' edges thereof as they reach the vertical positionwill rest upon said chains, while if such sheets be delivered to the racks approaching the lower reach of said chains, the lower edges thereof will be engaged by the hook c of said racks. By `using small sprocket wheels (l-d the racks c as they are/passing about said wheels, will be ared to permit clearance for the delivery of sheetsl to the racks or their removal therefrom. This is the usual operation in dryersof the type shown.

The clutch u may then be set by means of the handle o as to either mechanism A or B or both said mechanisms, to apply power thereto according to whether it is desired to feed coated sheets'to one reach of the rack chains b or to both re-aches thereof.

When a delivery and a coating mechanism are thus. placed in operation, it is merely necessary for the operator to lay sheets to be coated upon the delivery table g, no care Ibeing required in the positioning of these sheets since they will either fall between succeeding pairs of clips in engagement with the lclips rearward of thevfeeding' movement of the sheet, or in a position where they will subsequentlybe engaged by said clips with the continued lineal traverse of the chains t-W. y

Following the passage of the forward edge of each sheet from the table g, it will be brought -to a position where it will be en-l gaged between the rollers f--f and thereafter the sheet will be advanced by the frictional engagement of said rollers therewith. Since the peripheral or angular speed of p the rollers f-f and the lineal speed ofthe chains L-z. is materially greater than that of the chains b, it will be apparent that if the functioning of said chains and said rollers' is properly synchronized, the forward part of said sheets will be closely adjacent the chains 'b before the rear edge thereof clears the rollers f--f', and that the sheet will be positioned in practically its entirety between two adjacent, flaring racks c and will drop upon said rack substantially simultaneo-usly with its reaching a horizontal position, thus avoiding any material rubbing action of the sheet upon the frame forming the rack.

spacing the succeeding pairs of clips z-z apart a distance greater than the length of the sheet being fed, sulicient dwell is afforded between the delivery of succeeding sheets to permit a rack to pass from its horizontal position, and the succeeding rack to be approaching this position before the next sheet is in a position to pass from the rollers f-f and be delivered to this succeeding rack.

By the use of a delivery mechanism made in accordance with my invention and operating in the manner described, no attention is required from the feeder beyond the mere laying of the sheets upon the table g` in substantially the correct lateral position, there being considerable latitude in the lateral placing of the sheets.

l mechanism B so as to utilize After the sheets have been passed by the carrier through the oven a, they are removed from the racks by hand and stacked, thus ensuring an ample supply of sheets at the delivery end of the oven.

While one feeder is delivering sheets to the mechanism A it is apparent that another feeder may also be delivering sheets to the oth the upper and the lower reaches of the carrier mechanism` and the operation of each mechanismy will lbe the same as the other as to the handling of the'sheets.

It will be noted that in both mechanisms A and B the freshly coated or lacquered side there is no likelihood of scraping of the freshly coated surface, or marringthereof by reason of impact of the sheet with the rack frame.

It is also apparent that if desired both reaches of the carrier may be used in drying each sheet, since in passing about either pair of sprockets d-d, the sheet will readily pass from the rack to which it was originally delivered, and fall upon the succeeding rack, which will ends of the oven.

When it is desired to stop the machine, it

convey it about the is desirable, by reason of the great number larly adapted for coatingor applying lacf quer or other material to tin sheets, although it is apparent that it may be used upon sheets of other material. By utilizing both mechanisms A and B, it is apparent that-one side of the sheet may be coated with one material While the other side thereof is coated with another material, thus permitting a complete finishing of sheets having opposite sides coated with different materials, with one cycle of the oven carrier.

The difference in'construction of the mechanism applying power to the mechanism A, from that applying power to the mechanism B, is due to the necessity for reversing the direction of drives of -said mechanisms,'the detail construction of the power transmitting mechanisms being immaterial to the invention so long as the proper speed ratio between said mechanisms and the carrier mechanism of the oven is preserved.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough, and including therein angularly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, a feeding mechanism ada ted to deliver sheets to said coating mec anism and actuating means` for said carrier, said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism, whereby said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier.

2. A lacquering machine embodying thereinthe combination with a drying ,oven and an endless carrier mechanism havingmovement therethroughxand about rotatable members at opposite ends thereof, whereby said carrier passes through said oven in parallel horizontal reaches, said carrier mechanism including therein angularly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism arranged at one end of said oven, adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of one reach successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, a coating mechanism adjacent the other end of said oven and adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of the other reach of said carrier successively, and a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said last named coating mechanism, and actuating means for said carrier, said coating mechanisms and said delivery mechanisms, whereby said coating mechanisms and said delivery mechanisms will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier.

3. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough, and including therein angularly exten ing racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, actuating means for said carrier, said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism, whereby said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier, and means whereby said coatin and said delivery mechanism may be ma e inoperative independently of said carrier mechanism.

4. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a-drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough and about rotatable members at opposite ends thereof, whereby said carrier passes through said oven in parallel horizontal reaches,- said carrier mechanism including therein angularly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism arranged at one end of said oven, adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of one reach successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, a coating mechanism adjacent the other end of said oven and adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of the other reach of said carrier successively, a feeding mechfor said carrier, said coating mechanisms andsaid delivery mechanisms, whereby said coating mechanisms and said delivery mechanisms will have a relatively hlgher speed `than said carrier, and means whereby each of said coating and said delivery mechanisms may be made inoperative independently of said carrier mechanism.

5. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough, and including therein angularly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a. coating mechanism adapted to deliver sheets directly to said rac-ks successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, actuating means for said carrier, and actuating means operatively connected with said carrier mechanism and applying powerto said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism, whereby said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier.

6. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough and about rotatable members at opposite ends thereof, whereby said carrier passes through said oven in parallel horizontal reaches, said carrier mechanism including therein angularly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism arranged at one end of said ove-n, adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of one reach successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, a coating mechanism adjacent the other end of said oven and adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of the other reach of said carrier successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said last named coating mechanism, actuating means for said carrier, and actuating means operatively connected with said carrier mechanism and applying power to said coating mechanisms 'and said delivery mechanisms, whereby said coating mechanisms and said delivery mechanisms will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier.

7 A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough, and including therein angula-rly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism, comprising a feed table having parallel slots therein, chains mounted to llO have movement longitudinally of said slots, and a sequence of pairs of clips carried by said chains respectively, the clips of each pair being rectilinea-lly arranged as to each other, and actuating means for said carrier, said coating mechanism and the chains of said delivery mechanism, whereby said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism `will have a relativelv higher speed than said carrier.

8. A lacquering machine embodying therein thecomb-ination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough, and including therein angularly extendingi racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism comprising a .fount adapted to receive lacquer or other coating composition and oppositely disposed rollers co-operating therewith, and adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coatingmechanism, comprising a feed table having parallel slots therein, chains mounted to have movement longitudinally of said slots, and a sequence of pairs of clips carried by said chains respectively, the clips at each pair being rectilineally arranged as to each other, and actuating means for said carrier, said coating mechanism and the chains of said delivery mechanism, whereby said coating mechanism and said delivery mechanism will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier. i Y

9. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mcchanism'having movement therethrough and about rotatable members at opposite ends thereof, whereby said carrier passes through y said oven in parallel horizontal reaches, said carrier mechanism including therein angularly extendingV racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism arranged at one end of said oven, adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of one reach successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said coating mechanism comprising a feed table having parallel slots therein,I chains mounted to have movement longitudinally of said slots, and a sequence of pairs of clips carried by said chains respectively, the clips of each pair being rectilineally arranged as to each other, a coating mechanism adjacent the other end of said oven and adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of the other reach of said carrier successively, and a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said last named coating mechanism comprising a feed table havin parallel slots therein, chains mounted to ave movement longitudinally of said slots, and a sequence ofpairs of clips carried by said chains respectively, the clips of each pair being rectilineally arranged as to each other, and actuating means for said carrier,

said lcoating mechanisms. and said delivery mechanisms, whereby said coating mechanisms and said dellvery-mechanisms will have a relatively higher. speed than said carrier.

10. A lacquering machine embodying therein the combination with a drying oven and an endless carrier mechanism having movement therethrough and about rotatable members at opposite ends thereof, whereby said carrier passes through said oven in par'- allel horizontal reaches, said carrier mechanism including therein angularly extending racks adapted to receive coated sheets, of a coating mechanism comprising a fount adapted to receive lacquer or other coating composition and oppositely disposed rollers co-operating therewith, and adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, arranged at one end of said oven, adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of one reach successively, a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets'to said coating mechanism comprising a feed table having parallel slots therein, chains mounted to have movement longitudinally of said slots, and a sequence of pairs of clips carried by said chains respectively, the clips of each pair being rectilineally arranged as to each other, a coating mechanism comprising a fount adapted to receive lacquer or other coating composition and oppositely disposed rollers co-operating therewith, and adapted to deliver sheets directly to said racks successively, adjacent the other end of said oven and adapted to deliver sheets directly to the racks of the other reach of said carrier successively, and a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver sheets to said last named coating mechanism comprising a feed table having parallel slots therein, chains mounted to have movement longitudinally of said slots, and a sequence of pairs of clips carried by said chains respectively, the clips of each pair being rectilineally arranged as to each other, and actuating means for said carrier, said coating mechanisms and said delivery mechanisms, whereby said coating mechanisms and said delivery mechanisms will have a relatively higher speed than said carrier.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aixed' my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 6th day of October, 1921.

PAUL HARRICH.

Witnesses:

`FRIEDA KOHLER,

SOPHIE M. BARBER. 

